5 Essential Questions to Ask a Personal Injury Lawyer during an Initial Consult

When negligence or carelessness ends up hurting you or someone you love, one of the first steps to take to get on the path to financial recovery is meeting with an attorney. This meeting can help you learn more about your rights and legal options while informing you of the next steps to take to get your case started.

So, to help you get the most information out of this meeting, below are some of the most important questions you may want to ask your lawyer when meeting for the first time face to face. The answers to these questions can be critical to helping you determine who will be the best attorney to represent you and your case moving forward.

Here’s What to Ask an Attorney during an Initial Consultation

1 – What is your experience with cases like mine?

Personal injury law includes a lot of different types of cases, and just because an attorney is a personal injury lawyer doesn’t mean that (s)he has experience successfully resolving cases just like yours.

So, for instance, if your case relates to medical malpractice or motorcycle accidents, make sure the lawyer you choose has specific experience with cases just like yours.

2 – What has been your success rate with cases like mine?

This question goes hand-in-hand with the above question, as it can give you more insight into how experienced a lawyer is at bringing cases like yours to successful resolutions.

3 – What can I expect in terms of recoveries and attorneys’ fees?

With this question, listen for how an attorney explains the likelihood that you will receive compensation for your claim, and take it as a red flag if you are “guaranteed” a financial recovery (as promises that seem too good to be true usually are).

Also, you’ll want to avoid hiring a lawyer who charges you fees upfront to accept your personal injury case (as most experienced personal injury attorneys work on contingency).

4 – What will you do to get my case started?

Here, you’ll be listening for the plan a lawyer has with your case. Additionally, with this question, you can make sure that a lawyer who you are considering won’t accept your case and then shelve it for months because, for instance, there is a longer statute of limitations.

5 – Why are you a better option than other attorneys I may be considering?

An experienced attorney should have a compelling answer to this question, revealing that lawyer’s power of persuasion and how effective that professional may be at arguing your case moving forwards.